2019 RTSports Outlook

Cook had another injury-plagued season but was able to play 11 of 16 games. He had 920 total yards and four touchdowns for the season. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Cook had just one 100-yard rushing game but four games with 100-plus total yards. He made plays when on the field and playing. Cook will be the feature back for the Vikings once again this year and serve a big role in the offense. Cook does a good job of setting his blocks and makes plays in the open field. He has game-changing speed at the running back spot. Cook is an improving inside runner but could still use a little work between the tackles. He catches the ball well and is a solid overall three-down back. Injuries are a concern for him after playing 15 games in two seasons.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:
Cook is an injury risk but has huge upside if he can play a full season. If you grab him, get some good backs to back him up. But if he can play a full year, Cook can be a solid No. 1 fantasy back. Cook can get around 1,600 total yards, double-digit scores and 60 receptions.

RotoBaller's Outlook

Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is a highly talented running back, but injury concerns greatly affect his fantasy value this draft season. Cook is yet to finish an NFL season without injury. However, there is no denying that Cook is talented when he is on the field. A positive step for Cook is that let Latavius Murray leave the team, in doing so they picked up Alexander Mattison in the third round of the draft. That suggests that the team are happy to give the rule of the backfield to Cook. One big plus point for Cook this offseason is that the Vikings addressed one of the largest weaknesses that the team had- their offensive line. The Vikings added three offensive linemen this offseason (including a first-round selection) as well as adding Josh Kline in free agency. If Cook is able to play the majority of the season there is no reason why he couldn't surpass 1,500 scrimmage yards this season. Cook may find that his opportunity to catch passing touchdowns may be limited with receivers Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen likely to get the majority of the opportunity in the air from Kirk Cousins. However, Cook should get the lions to share of the rushing touchdowns for the team. If the offensive line takes the step forward that is expected, and Cook stays on the field, then he should be a great RB2 option for fantasy owners.

Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook looked great in Week 1, rushing 21 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns in a dominant 28-12 win over the Atlanta Falcons. He added two receptions for nine yards. Cook finished RB5 in half-PPR leagues, showing off elite explosiveness and vision in the Vikings new zone-blocking scheme. He's an RB1 in Week 2 as well, though he's on the lower end as the Vikings will likely be looking to throw more than they did in Week 1. He's still a good candidate for around 20 touches in this run-heavy offense, though, and he will test a new-look Packers Defense that impressed in the first week. Plug Cook into your lineup with confidence in standard leagues, and give him a look in daily formats (especially if he's projecting to be low-owned).

Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook had a huge game on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, rushing 21 times for 111 yards (5.3 YPC) and two rushing touchdowns. He also added two catches for nine yards in the Vikings 28-12 victory. The Vikings offensive line was opening up holes all day for Cook, who routinely showed off his explosiveness and tackle-breaking ability en route to a monster fantasy day. The Vikings were true to their word in sticking with the run (Kirk Cousins had just 98 passing yards on 10 attempts), and that obviously bodes well for Cook's rest-of-season outlook. He's a top-tier RB1 on the road against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2's tilt.

Vikings' RB Dalvin Cook ran for 111 yards on 21 carries with two touchdowns in Sunday's win against the Falcons.

Sep 5 11:40pm ET

Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is primed for a big game to start the season, squaring off against an Atlanta Falcons Defense that got absolutely crushed by running backs in 2018. The Falcons allowed 10 top-10 finishes by running backs last year, and have been notorious for allowing tons of receiving yardage to the position for a few years now. Cook should get a full workload on Sunday in a game with a high Vegas total (47.5) and with the Vikings as 4.5-point favorites at home. The Vikings now have rookie Alexander Mattison backing up Cook, but he doesn't appear to be a threat to Cook's passing-down work for the time being. Dalvin Cook should be fed touches early and often and can be viewed as an RB1 with top-5 potential in this favorable matchup. He's also a worthy play in daily formats with a safe floor and a high ceiling for tournaments.

Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook rushed twice for 88 yards and one touchdown in the third preseason game Saturday. On one of his rushes, he started left and cut back to the right, breaking tackles on his way to an 85-yard touchdown run. Cook is showing he's all the way back from his torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He's a midrange RB1 that has the potential to be one of the best backs in the game.

Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook was listed as active but didn't see the field on Sunday night against the Seattle Seahawks. Cook was held out of last week's contest as well - the Vikings are being extra cautious with their third-year back during the preseason as he has struggled to stay healthy early in his career. He's an exceptionally talented player and has sneaky top-5 running back potential this season, but he's definitely not for the faint of heart. Cook's being drafted at 17 overall (RB10), which feels about right. Keep an eye on his status for the third preseason game, but don't expect him to play much, if at all.

Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook says he's a three-down running back who's ready for a full workload in the 2019 season. 'Yeah. I love catching the football and love making plays, so anyway I can get the ball in my hands and change the scoreboard or change the (first down) markers, I'm willing to do that,' Cook told a writer from the team's website. 'Any way possible. Catching the ball, running the football ... I'm willing to do it. So yeah, I consider myself a three-down back.'

Fantasy Spin: If he can stay healthy after missing 17 of a possible 32 games his first two seasons , look for a breakout RB1 season for Cook.

Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has had an up-and-down start to his career. Drafted as a second-round pick out of Florida State, Cook played in just four games his rookie season before tearing his ACL, and his 2018 was plagued by nagging hamstring issues that cost him five games. Notably, Cook had just three games with 13 or more carries in 2018, as the durable veteran Latavius Murray helped shoulder the load on offense while Cook was ailing. Now, Latavius Murray is gone, the Vikings brought in run-game-guru Gary Kubiak, and the offensive line is (at least on paper) much improved. There is a lot to like about Cook's prospects for 2019, as his current RB11 (OVR18) ADP leaves plenty of room for value with his exciting profile - he ranked second in the NFL in Juke Rate and eighth in Evaded Tackles in 2018. Cook has a higher ceiling than most people realize, as he's a true three-down back in an offense that is looking to skew toward the run. He could be a forgotten "post-hype sleeper" type of pick this season in drafts, and there's a great chance that Cook breaks into the upper echelon of elite running backs this season. Draft accordingly.

Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook is a strong candidate to have a 2019 breakout season, in the opinion of NFL Network analyst Terrell Davis. Knowing (new Vikings offensive coordinator Gary) Kubiak's history, Cook should get a lot of opportunities this season, far more than the 133 carries he had in 2018,' David wrote on NFL.com 'The third-year pro has the natural ability to be a top-10 running back, and we've seen glimpses of his talent in the last two seasons. Unfortunately, injuries (ACL in 2017; hamstring in 2018) have prevented him from staying on the field for a full season. With a healthy offseason and more than a year removed from his knee injury, Cook will be a major player in the Vikings' offense in 2019.'

Fantasy Spin: T.D. hit on the key, and that's Cook's health as he's missed 17 of a possible 32 games in two seasons so far. The rest of the ingredients are there, though, so don't hesitate in selecting him as a high-end RB2.

The Minnesota Vikings selected North Carolina State center Garrett Bradbury with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. He's the first center off the board in the 2019 draft. Bradbury was also a star catcher in high school. He's a smart football player with great character and nice athleticism. Minnesota's offensive line has been a mess of late, so Bradbury will hopefully become an anchor on the O-line for years to come. It's great news for Dalvin Cook.

Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook said he hasn't 'scratched the surface' of his potential yet. 'I'm getting back to how I used to feel,' Cook said. 'My confidence is out the roof. I feel great. I've had a great offseason.'

Fantasy Spin: After a knee injury cut his rookie year short, Cook battled a hamstring issue last year. Still, he has flashed his upside when healthy, and he should enter 2019 as the lead back for the Vikings. He's a RB2 with a lot of upside.